7 Steps Every PR Campaign Should Have

You know what they say about the best laid plans…right? They oft go astray. Which is why it’s especially important when planning your Strategic Public Relations Campaigns that you’re able to remain nimble, flexible and goal oriented.

Take a peek at the 7 Steps Every PR Campaign Should Have.

1. Know Your End Game

What’s your goal? What’s your destination? What are you hoping to accomplish and does it align with your overall communications strategy? What are the needs that you’re trying to answer? Until you can answer, you’re not ready to move forward.

2. Map Your Journey
You know where you’re headed, now let’s figure out the tactics to help you get there. Which communication channel will work best? Who should you be talking? Messaging, Content, Visuals, Tools – make sure everything is consistent and universal.

3. Line Up Your Message on all Platforms

Prepare to launch, make sure your messaging is appropriate for all of your platforms, whether paid, earned, owned or shared. You’ll speak slightly differently to your Facebook audience then you will to a LinkedIn group or a reporter. Your message needs to be consistent, but it shouldn’t be identical. Don’t just cut, paste and pray. Take the time to learn about who you’re pitching and develop a relationship with him. At the end of the day, they’re human too. Is everyone involved on the same page? Ask the question.

4. Pull the trigger

You’ve spent time creating lists, doing your research, fact checking and making sure you’re targeting the right people. Only one thing left to do and that’s pull the trigger cowgirl. Giddy up!

5. Measure

Every good PR campaign can give you insight almost immediately. Are reporters responding to your pitch? What social media posts are getting the most traction? Is there a certain component of your campaign that is resonating with your audience more so than others? Beyond tracking likes and shares, how will you be able to impact your client’s bottom line? Be sure you can track sales and conversions, or if you’re working with influencers, what impact do they have on the brand?

6. Adjust
Remember how we were just talking about being flexible? You have your goal, you have your measurement, everything else is just details. What does the data tell you? Find the holes, make some tweaks and….keep working. Results can come two-to-three weeks later so be sure keep an eye on your campaign.

7. Repeat
Start again. Whether you’re an in-house marketer or working on behalf of a client, make sure you’re always circling back on to what your end game is, that your tactics are effective (if they’re not, try something else!), that your messaging is consistent and that you’re measuring results in real time. Be nimble in your approach, but singular in your focus.